New Argentine Aircraft

A few new types are arriving in service or beginning testing in 1944.

During 1944 deliveries have begun on a batch of 24 Macchi-Savoia-Marchetti Ermes I for the long-range reconnaissance role. RA had designed the aircraft especially for the competition and it offers excellent growth and will allow searches far out into the Atlantic and over all of Grand Uruguay at high-altitude. It will serve alongside a small force of half-a-dozen PR Mosquitoes delivered a couple of years ago.

A twin-engine fighter is entering final design and prototype assembly. This will be the historical Nancu.

Here are the specs for the new Rolls-Royce powered Calquin - again based on a real project. This should be more equal to the Mossie the I.Ae.24 was based on and much more able to penetrate SAE defences.

I.Ae 28 B-02 Calquin
The second I.Ae.24 prototype was converted with two 1,760hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XII V-12 engines during July 1944 and first flew with these new engines on 24 October 1944. Performance tests went well and orders for 144 were soon placed and entry into service began during the summer of 1945.
Dimensions: span 16.3m; length 12m; height 3.4m; wing area 38 sq m; wing loading 249kg/ sq m; power loading 2.68kg/hp
Structure: wooden monocoque fuselage plywood covering developed by Instituto Aerotechico and Entel. The fuselage is constructed as two separate halves which are subsequently joined together. Wooden tail and tailplane construction with plywood covering (the plywood is entirely produced by the Instituto Aerotécnico). Rudder and elevators wooden framed with fabric covering. Mid position wing with two wooden carry-through spars and stringers wooden framed ailerons with fabric covering, wooden slotted flaps and two landing flaps. Retractable main undercarriage with hydraulic brakes and twin oil-air shock absorbers on each leg and a retractable tail wheel.
Weights: empty 5,840kg; max weight 9,464kg and payload 3500kg
Powerplant: two 1,760hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XII V-12 engines with de Havilland 4/4400/5 3.66m diameter four-bladed hydromatic constant-speed control propellers with auto-feathering and ‘clocked’ rotation
Performance: max speed 366mph; cruising speed 310mph; range 1,105 miles; rate of climb 2,850ft/min and service ceiling 33,000ft
Capacity: pilot and navigator/ bomb-aimer seated side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit with ventral door
Armament: four 20mm Orkileon in lower nose, bomb bay for 1000kg bombload and 12x 75mm rockets underwing
Equipment: full controls and navigation equipment including a radio receiver/transmitter, HF/DF set, naval co-operation beacon and Sperry autopilot, two cameras can be fitted in cabin floor, one flare chute, two rescue dinghies and mechanical bombsight

EDIT: I think the later versions of the F-11 and F-12 series can catch the new Argentine recce a/c. On paper. The problem is to detect and correctly identify a single high flying intruder and have a F-11 or F-12 at hand that could be at the right spot at the right time for interception. Early warning and fighter direction need to be good enough...

FMA TI-01-IIB
On 9 December 1944, a prototype conversion of an I-01-IIB converted into a two-seat trainer was flown. The cockpit is moved forwards and behind is inserted another cockpit with reduced instrumentation and a blown canopy for an instructor. The bomb racks, armoured bulkhead and two machine-guns are removed. A gun-camera was added to the starboard wing leading edge. Performance is almost identical to the standard fighter.
From April 1945, IMPA began converting twenty-nine other airframes for the fighter training role.

New Stuff for 1946

This year the Air Force will begin receiving the first of 144 I.Ae.30 I-03 Ñancú twin-engine long-range fighters.

FMA will unveil another one-off trainer prototype, the I.Ae. 32 Chingolo, which is very similar to the I.Ae.31, but with a high back fuselage, the prototype will be built at the Mario Vicente workshops in Córdoba.
Dimensions: span 10.70m; length 8.12m; height 2.18m; wing area 16.50 sq m
Structure: steel-framed fuselage with light alloy covered forward fuselage and fabric covering aft, light alloy used for tail and tailplane construction with fabric covering. Rudder and elevators wood framed with fabric covering. Low position wooden wing with plywood covering and wood framed ailerons with fabric covering. Fixed main undercarriage with oil-pneumatic shock absorbers and hydraulic brakes and a non-retractable tail wheel.
Weights: empty 750kg; gross weight 981kg; payload 231kg; wing loading 9.45kg/m2
Powerplant: one 155hp Blackburn Cirrus Major with a de Havilland two-blade variable-pitch propeller
Performance: max speed 230km/h (142mph); endurance 1hr 40mins and service ceiling 5180m (16,995ft)
Capacity: pupil and instructor seated in tandem in an enclosed cockpit
Equipment: dual controls and full navigation equipment including a radio receiver/transmitter.

On the civil side, I'm looking for new airliners for the state airline Aeravias Argentinas S.A.
They need 12 new four-engine long-range airliners to replace the I.Ae.7 and 16-20 new twin-engine medium-range types to replace the old single-engine I.Ae.5 fleet.

RE: New Stuff for 1946

On the civil side, I'm looking for new airliners for the state airline Aeravias Argentinas S.A.
They need 12 new four-engine long-range airliners to replace the I.Ae.7 and 16-20 new twin-engine medium-range types to replace the old single-engine I.Ae.5 fleet.

Depending on exact needs, Germany is in a position to offer the Ju390 for the long-range aircraft, and either the Ju252 or the Bv144 for the mid-range requirement, or, if desired, a mix of both for high and low traffic routes.

FMA I-02IIIN
A naval version of the I-02III Pulqui with the folding wings and strengthened fuselage with arrestor gear of the I-02N. 48 were ordered in July 1947 and deliveries began in January 1948. Construction numbers are C/N01186-C/N01234.
Powerplant: one 1600hp Spartan 1500S-SP V-12 inline engine with modified two-stage supercharger, maximum sea level output to 16,000ft
Performance: max speed 431mph at 15,000 feet; service ceiling 38,500ft; rate of climb 3,062ft per minute at 1,500ft; range 975 miles full fuel load including two drop-tanks
Armament: four 13mm Browning HMG in wings and one ventral bomb-rack for one 250-500lb bomb, and underwing mounts for 8x 75mm RPs

In Development

Gloster AXP-1001 (FMA I-05 Pulqui III)
In 1946 Argentina sent a mission to Britain and negotiations saw an order for 100 Gloster Meteor F.Mk.IV fighters and for Gloster to co-operate with FMA engineers on the design of a new fighter. Argentina sent thirty FMA engineers to Hucclecote in September 1946. The new fighter was to have a Rolls-Royce engine and be delivered within thirty months and FMA had the option of purchasing the manufacturing rights. The initial contract signed in July 1946 was for three prototypes. Based on Gloster designs for jet fighters the design work moved along quickly and the mock-up was inspected during September 1947 and by then construction on the prototypes was underway. The design was basic with a nose intake, the cannon being mounted around the nose, a mid-set tailplane was fitted and the wings had moderate sweep of 20 degrees. Internal fuel capacity was 470 gallons. The first prototype made its first flight following taxi trials on 14 July 1948. The second prototype will fly during early 1949 followed by the third prototype, which will be shipped to Argentina and reassembled for its first flight around June 1949. The third prototype and all production aircraft will be fitted with Rolls-Royce Nene III engines rather than the Nene IIs fitted to the first two prototypes.
Dimensions; 38/ 41.9/ 14.10/ 360 sq ft; 1x 5,000lb Rolls-Royce RB.41 Nene III; max speed 600mph at sea level; range 1,000 miles with maximum external fuel; sea level rate of climb 6,000ft/min; service ceiling 40,000ft; all-up weight 14,250lb and overload weight 18,700lb. Armament: 4x 20mm Orkileon FFB cannon and 2x 500kg bombs or 12x 75mm rockets underwing. Two underwing 100 or 200 gallon drop tanks and one 195 gallon ventral tank can be fitted.

Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA)
The main state-owned aircraft manufacturer in Argentina and has been in operation since 1927 with its main factory in the capital city Cordoba. The current Director, since 1943, is Mayor de Aero Ing. Juan Ignacio San Martin and the Chief Designer is Luis Barron. The company has been expanded with the creation of several specialist divisions, each focusing on an area of aeronautical engineering.

Divisions

Fábrica de Motores de Aviación (Aviation Engine Factory)
FMA brought the Roth-Packard series of radial engines in 1934; the 235hp Roth 7 cylinder single row radial engine, 700hp Roth-Packard 14 cylinder double radial engine and the 650hp Roth 9 cylinder single row radial which were marketed as the 235hp FMA RR-7-1, 700hp FMA RR-14-2 and the 650hp RR-9-1. Development from late 1935 resulted in two new models, the 750hp RR-14-2-D and the 255hp RR-7-1-B. In 1938 the RR-9-1 was up-rated to 675hp and fitted with an automatic pitch changing three-bladed propeller as the RR-9-1-B. Also in 1938 the 715hp FMA RR-14-2-B appeared. This was further modified as the 735hp RR-14-2-C in 1942.

Fábrica de Motores a Reacción (Jet Engine Factory)
Created in 1948 in partnership with British firm Rolls-Royce to undertake maintenance and overhaul work on Rolls-Royce Derwent engines for the Meteor fleet. V. Ing. Raúl Argentino Magallanes was appointed as Director. Machine tools and gauges and equipment enable the factory to build component parts locally with assistance from Rolls-Royce technicians and training.

La Fábrica de Hélices y Accesorios (Propellers and Accessories Factory)
Formed in 1948 as another division to take over running of the propeller workshop which had been part of the Cordoba factory since 1928.

Fábrica de Instrumentos y Equipos (Instruments and Equipment Factory (FIE))
Founded in 1948 to manufacture a wide range of instruments, including Sperry equipment under licence, and electronic equipment. Captain Carlos Pedro Porucini was appointed as Director. It replaces the Taller de Reparación de Instrumentos de Aviación (Aviation Instruments Repair Workshop) which had been founded in 1938.

Fábrica de Máquinas y Herramientas (Machines and Tools Factory)
Founded in 1948 as a separate division, originally it was part of the Engine Department in an adjoining workshop which was opened in 1931. Its products are manufactured for the aviation, locomotive and automotive industries in Argentina.

Dirección General de Fábricas la Escuela de Aprendices (Directorate General Factory School Apprentices)
Founded in 1948 by the Director of the Institute Aerotécnico to formally organise the apprentice training programme. The first class enrolled 270 apprentices and by 1949 there were 536.

División Proyectos Especiales (Special Projects Division)
Founded on 12 August 1947 to oversee all of FMA’s rocket programmes.